


Try to Fix You

by queen_mischief



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:45:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1955562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_mischief/pseuds/queen_mischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AWWWW I'm sorry, for some reason I needed some fluffiness and snowman building (now you are probably singing Frozen ehehehe) and cuddles and OH! I like it. Anywho, did anybody happen to notice that I slipped something in there that may/ may not come into play (and by play, I mean play) later? It was my editor's idea. Anywho. Thank you for reading. Again, love/ hate/ comments/ questions/ concerns/ undying adoration appreciated in the comment section. Lotsa Loki love.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Hello all! I have never written fanfiction before, but I decided I'd try it out before the summer ended. Please leave any questions, comments, concerns, etc, in the comments. Don't take it too seriously. It's all for fun, right? :) Please be gentle with criticisms. I am very sensitive, I am a delicate flower. This is dedicated to a certain Mr. Hiddleston as his community service and way of living inspires me to be a better person every day. Anywho, I do not own Loki, Thor, Odin, Frigga, Heimadall, or Asgard, or any of that nonesense. Cara and the other made-up characters are a work of my mind. Dig in, lovies. <3

CHAPTER 1 

You wake up one Monday morning in the beautiful kingdom of Asgard. You look outside your window and see people milling about, going to complete their various tasks. You realize what time it is, and curse under your breath. You were supposed to wake up early today due to all of the extra preparations that needed to be made in order to prepare for the feast that was to be given in celebration of the most recent victory of Prince Thor and his fellow warriors. Quickly slipping on your attire for the day, you mentally roll your eyes. Why must all of Thor’s accomplishments be celebrated? Certainly there are many others who deserve recognition, but they go unnoticed by the All-Father due to his selective attention to his son. Odin even has another son, Prince Loki, but even he is subject to negligence by his father. It has been said that both of the brothers were born to be kings, but only one can ascend to the throne. Odin has obviously already made his choice. Stay focused, you tell yourself. You can rant about this later.

You run out into the hallway, ducking the sharp eyes of your supervisor, which is no small feat. Mr. Vernon Ile is a portly, tall man, with a grungy beard, a perpetual stench of alcohol fermenting in his mouth, and a particularly disgusting habit of flirting with and sometimes even harassing the servants that worked below him. Avoiding him was usually number one on your priority list. Your first chore is to make sure that all of the silverware is set for the evening. You slip into the kitchen and begin doling out dinner and salad forks, dinner and salad knives, and spoons into each of their respective bins, counting them as you go along. 1000 places are to be set tonight, and you wish to ensure that each spot is perfect. Once all of the silverware has been sorted, you grab the bin of salad forks and hustle out the door. All of the plates have been set out, and there are other servants preparing the glasses and other pieces of tableware. You hop about, placing a fork at each table. You return several times to set out the other pieces of silverware, and there is only half an hour before the feast is to begin.

Setting the tables may have been important, but your next task is of even greater significance. Your friend Cara (who is much older than you and is your unofficial sister and supervisor) told you yesterday that she was feeling ill and would need you to take over a task or two of hers so that her work would get done. She asked you if you could go in to Loki’s room and clean, dust, sweep, and pick up all of his things. She told you that Loki usually went for a walk before a feast about half an hour before it began, so you should be able to go into his room a little later than that to cleanse it. You walked slowly to the servant’s supply area, knowing it would take roughly five minutes to get from the kitchens to there and to Loki’s room, and that should give him plenty of time to leave for his walk. You whistle as you go along, admiring the beautiful women and gorgeous men who are in their absolute best for his feast. You smile to yourself when a particularly tipsy woman almost falls over her date and successfully spills wine on his shoes. Shaking your head, you arrive at the closet and pull out a broom, pail, some soap, a duster, and a few cloths to get started on Loki’s room. You have walked past it many times, but have never actually been inside, so when you arrive you are more than a little bit nervous. Taking a deep breath, you swing open the heavy door and your eyes almost bulge out of your head. You are surrounded by emerald green and gold. The green walls are accented with shimmering gold swirls, the couches are velvety with plush pillows and there are pieces of gold furnishings everywhere. You are fascinated by each and every thing in the room, and the luxury engulfing you is almost suffocating, but your brain finally pulls you back into reality. This is not going to be fun to dust.

Sighing heavily, you pick up your pail and begin sweeping the dark hardwood floor. This actually does not take that long, since the room is a little smaller than it seems. I wonder if Prince Thor’s room is this sma- STOP! You don’t have time for that. Focus. You pick up one of the rags and begin scrubbing the floor. To concentrate, you begin humming to yourself. It’s a song Cara taught you, and it always makes you happy when you hear it. Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones; I will try to fix you. As soon as you finish scrubbing, you hum out the final chorus and admire your work. There is a peaceful silence, and suddenly a voice pipes up, “I love that song.” Your breath catches in your throat. Certainly that couldn’t be… You turn slowly, and see a sight that almost stops your heart. Two horns and a full human- no, god-like figure silhouetted by the setting sun falling on Asgard. The head of this god is in his hands, and he appears to be slouched, but you would know him anywhere. You drop the rag and fall to your knees, blubbering out apologies and pleas, but you freeze when you see the figure turn towards you. Two tear-filled eyes stare back at you, and you nearly faint when he speaks again.

“There is no need to apologize when you have done nothing wrong. If you would kindly finish cleaning, I will be out of your hair.”

“Are you okay-” you start, but he cuts you off.

“I am fine, young servant. Go about your task.” You highly doubt that.

“Are you su-”

 

“I said I was fine,” he snaps, his eyes now blazing green. “Go about your task or I will beat you until you are begging for mercy, which I will not grant you. Good evening.” With a flourish of his cape and a flash of his helmet, he disappears. Your feel your heart pounding for a few seconds until everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

You awake with a pounding in your skull and a thick feeling in your throat. Your mind is still hazy from passing out, and you are very disoriented by the swirling green and gold around you. You soon realize where you are, and begin to weep. I don’t understand what I did wrong. What if I’m relieved of my duties and turned out to live on the streets? You make up your mind to finish dusting and go to Cara to explain what happened and beg for forgiveness. This takes a while, and it is pitch-black outside, save for a ribbon of moonlight mocking you in the sky, when you complete your task. You exit Loki’s room and hustle downstairs with your cleaning supplies and return ach of them to their respective place in the servant closet. Hiking up your skirts, you walk at a brisk pace to Cara’s room. She is across the hall from your room, and still in bed.

“Hey, Cara! Am I glad to see you. You wouldn’t believe what happened to me- Wait. Why do you look so pale?”

“Hello, little one. I am not feeling well, as you can probably tell. I have been sick all day, with painful headaches and stomach cramps. The nurses have put me on some sort of medication that appears to not agree with me. They say I should be better soon, but I haven’t eaten in a few days, nor do I want to. Anyway, what were you so excited to tell me about?” You feel sheepish for coming to complain about what now seemed like a foolish problem, one you should either not worry about, or deal with on your own.

“Oh, I was just going to tell you that there was a woman who was so high on the spirits that she fell over her date and spilled her drink all over his shoes! Isn’t that hilarious?” She laughs, but looks you over with a creased forehead, searching your eyes to see if that is what you were running to tell her about. She knows you too well- almost. She decides you’re telling her the truth and smiles, and this time it touches her eyes. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Anything you need,” you eagerly reply.

“Can you take over task of cleaning Loki’s room until I am well again? I realize he may not be entirely swell to be around, but if you keep your head low and do a good job, you’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.” You avert your eyes and bite your lip, hesitating.

“I’ll do it. Anything to make your life easier.” She grins happily and her eyes light up.

 

“Thank you, little one, I greatly appreciate it. Don’t forget to gather and wash the silverware after the feast is completed tonight.” You bow and exit the room, and fear gnaws in your stomach. You are now in charge of Loki’s room. Gods help you.


	3. Chapter 3

You leave Cara's room and make your way to the kitchen. The feast has just ended, and it is now time to clean up. You grab a bin and begin gathering silverware and toss forks, knives and spoons in until you can barely carry it. You heave the basket to the washing area and dump it into the sink filled with warm, soapy water. What you wouldn't give for some friendly forest creatures to help you or some fairies that farted magic dust that would do the dishes for you. You have to make several trips to get all of the silverware to the sink, but you eventually get it done. A few hours later, each piece of silver is practically glowing and back in its place. You sit for a moment and realize you haven't eaten anything. Glancing around, you slink into the cupboard and grab materials to make a small meal that you can sneak out in the pockets of your dress. Gods, dresses with pockets are the best. Stuffing the food in your dress, you tiptoe out of the cupboard and silently close the door behind you. No one saw you. Phew.

You step lightly out of the kitchen and skip along the corridor, planning to take a midnight stroll. Out in the courtyard, you admire the glow and hum of the Rainbow Bridge. One day, you might actually be brave enough to go near it, but that day is not today. You sit on a ledge and breathe in the scent of night. The perfume of flowers permeates the air, dewdrops are sprinkled in, and there in a distinct smell of mischief. That's not normal, but you shrug it off, knowing you're probably still shaken up from earlier. You lean against a column and close your eyes and start to drift off. You dream of forks and spoons skipping down the Rainbow Bridge, Loki turning away from you, Cara smiling at you, but your eyes snap open when you hear a branch break. You glance up and scan the area. The silence that had comforted you only moments ago was now eerie and unwelcoming. You hop off the ledge and remember that you still have food to eat.

You keep your head down and mentally chastise yourself for staying out this late. What would Cara say? You know there are weirdoes out there, and this is the prime time for them to slink out and do whatever it is they do. Cara had always warned you that things could happen to you, but she never really went into the specifics of what those things were. You were sure that you didn't want to find out. Being consumed with these thoughts, you neglected to notice the burly figure in front of you, and you went on to run right in to him. You fell, smacking your head on the hard floor. There were stars in your eyes, and you felt very dizzy. You saw double of the man in front of you and you thought you could hear him say something. You mumble something that slightly resembles an apology, and then you realize who it is. Your supervisor, Mr. Ile. You attempt to quickly stand up and halfway succeed, leaning on a column for support.

"Hello, Mr. Ile. I was just trying to return to my room for the night. I got really busy cleaning up after the feast."

"Oh really?" he breathes in your face, and you automatically back up even closer to the column, the rancid stench of ale polluting your nostrils. "You know it's not safe to wandering around the corridors at night, little girl. There could be" he inches closer to you "bad guys lurking about." You laugh nervously.

"Yes, so I do believe I should be getting on my way-"

"Oh you're not going anywhere, love." He begins to close the gap between you and you're instantly caught in a haze of alcohol and you can't breathe. You thrash about, attempting to escape from his iron grip.

"HELP!" you scream, hoping to catch the attention of someone, anyone, to get you out of this awful situation. He chuckles as he presses even closer and you struggle even more, successfully hitting him in the jaw. He growls before hitting your head on the column behind you and your head swims.

"Stop," you hear from a distance. Ile stops for just a moment and it's enough for you to knee him in the groin and pull away. You run almost blindly towards your rescuer, and nearly knock him over. You look up to thank him, and see familiar green eyes staring piercingly back at you. "Are you okay?" the soothing voice asks, concern flooding his face. You whimper a reply. He looks over to Ile and spits "If I ever see you touch her or any other servants again, I will have you banished to Jotunheim. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Ile seethes, and he jams his meaty hands into his pockets and stalks away, muttering angrily to himself. You take this opportunity to curtsy and try to walk away, but Loki grabs your arm and stops you.

"Are you really okay? Did he hurt you? I could still have him banished, if you'd like." You look down at his hand on your arm and blush profusely. He drops it.

"Why would you stop him? You had nothing to gain from it and you actually seemed very upset the last time I spoke to you. I should be the one apologizing for speaking out of turn."

"Try not to wander around at night. There are people not so nearly as kind as me." You stomp your foot and grunt in frustration and he looks taken aback.

"Why won't you answer my question?"

"Why should I? I have duties that must be attended to. Good night, Lady...?" he looks at you expectantly.

"I am not telling you my name if you won't answer me," you state in defiance, crossing your arms in front of your chest, closing yourself off.

"Very brazen for a servant. How I would love to break you of that very naughty habit. Alas, I have not the time nor patience for that." With that, he turns and marches away from you in a very princely fashion. You also turn and stomp towards your room. What a pompous, earth-vexing maggot! You change into a nightgown and flop onto your bed, furious. You remember the food you packed and get up to fetch the meal you made. You angrily chew and begin to ponder the day's events. Perhaps tomorrow will be better, you think, but then you remember. You have to clean Loki's room. You groan loudly and roll over, knowing sleep will be unattainable.


	4. Chapter 4

You awake with a growl, knowing that today would be a long one. There was still cleansing to be done around the palace since the party ended, and you were on clean-up crew. You roll out of bed and get dressed, putting on something that smells about halfway decent. Goodness, you really need to do laundry. In the midst of pinning your hair, you slap your palm to your forehead. You didn’t check on Cara last night. Some friend you are. You slip on a pair of shoes and hurry out the door, chastising yourself. You bang on her door and nearly kick it off its hinges when she doesn’t answer immediately. What you see before you nearly makes you sick. A gaunt, ghostly figure lies before you, with stringy hair strewn about her face. This cannot be Cara. She’s vivacious and full of life, not half-dead and pale. “Cara?” you whisper softly, afraid that you’ll wake her up. She opens her eyes slowly and is barely able to crack a smile.

“Hello, little one. How were the festivities last night? Were there any babes I missed out on? Tell me everything.”

“How can I talk to you of celebrations when you are lying here barely breathing? Have the nurses done nothing for you?” Her face fell and her forehead creased.

“They have been doing everything they can. Tomorrow I’m scheduled to visit with a specialist who should be able to fix me up. They say he’s the best and I should be good as new in a week or so. Trust me, little one, I’ll be fine,” she smiles weakly.

“Are you absolutely certain-?”

“I have every confidence in the doctors. Now, don’t make me ask again. I want the dirt. What happened last night?” You give her a kiss on the forehead, and go on to explain each odd encounter with Loki. She sat patiently with furrowed brows, contemplating each word you say.

“And I just don’t know what to do,” you sigh. “Help me out here?”

“Well,” she pondered thoughtfully. “I believe that you could be a positive influence in his life- hear me out. He’s never had anyone ask him if he’s okay, so it’s difficult to tell the emotional trauma he could be experiencing right now. You could be his redemption. You could fix him. Try to talk to him, find out what’s wrong, and see what happens after that. I believe in you, little one.”

“Cara,” you whine childishly, “Why must I be the one to do that? Doesn’t he have parents?”

“You said yourself Odin doesn’t give two helms about Loki’s existence and maybe Frigga is having a hard time reaching him. You might possibly break his hard outer shell. Who knows what will be inside? Maybe there is a gentle, heartbroken child who craves attention and love, but has never been given it, or refused to accept it. Go on, do your duties, and eat some breakfast. You’re looking a tad pale.” Me, pale? Have you looked in a mirror, sister? You curtsy and bow out of the room to fetch a broom to sweep the grand dining area.

There are still warriors passed out on the tables with empty goblets in their hands, snoring loudly. There is fresh fruit on the table, and you snack on a vine of grapes and an apple before getting started. You sweep from front to back, occasionally lifting a boot off of the floor to get underneath. Wiping your brow, you admire your good work. In the distance, you hear a gong go off, signaling that it was 7 o’clock AM. The warriors sleeping about are unperturbed by this and you must go to each of them and shake them awake so that you may mop before breakfast is served promptly at 8 o’clock. The last warrior is rolled over on his side, and you walk up behind him. You laugh to yourself because he has managed to get his cape flung over his head and it rises and falls with each breath he takes. You shake him, and he turns to face you. Your breath catches in your throat as you’re are caught eye-to-eye with Prince Thor, god of thunder.

“Prince Thor, I had no idea, I apologize for so rudely awaking you,” you curtsy.

“Ish okay, shweetie,” he slurs with ale tinting his breath. “Could you tellsh me what time it be?”

“Um, I believe it is about 7:05 my lord.”

“Seven already? I musht have shlept more than I meant. Whelp, off to bed with thish boy. You ish purty, milady. Care to join me?” he turns to you, wobbling slightly, holding out his hand.

“That will be quite alright sir; I have business to attend to. Thanks for the offer.”

“Shuit yourshelf. Thor ish a god boy.” He stumbles off, and you hold it together for about two seconds before you burst into a fit of giggles. You are practically crying by the time you reach the mop. You continue your duties without further interruption, and the floor is shining at approximately 7:45, just in time for the food to be set out before the hung over party goers were to arrive. Maybe I can finish cleaning Loki’s room while he is eating breakfast. You grab the mop and return to the closet once again for a few more supplies. After you believed the breakfast had begun, you meandered into Loki’s quarters. Today you decide to begin with fluffing the pillows and beating the dust out of the carpets and cushions. You grab a rug and head to the balcony and begin to smack it.

“I do quite like watching you beat things, little girl. You have this awfully adorable little look of concentration on your face that I find to be quite endearing. Perhaps you should try beating other things… Are you fond of paddles or whips?” You turn your head toward the sound of his voice but quickly avert your eyes when you see a half- naked Loki lying in bed. Your cheeks are quite red and you are positive you will die.

“Milord, I knew not that you would be in here, I expected you to be in the breakfast- I’ll just be going now,” you spit out, and attempt to quickly gather your things when his voice again stops you.

 

“Oh tut tut tut, I don’t think that will be necessary.” You hear the covers fall and footsteps approach you. “You were just in the middle of cleaning my rugs, were you not? However, I don’t believe the technique you were using quite worked for me. Here, let me help.” You feel his hands grasp yours, and you try your best to not look back at him. “You were sort of attacking the thing as if it was a giant spider and that is simply not the best way to do it. You must grasp the handle of this, swing it behind you, arch your back, and follow through until you hit the carpet. Ready?” You nod, almost imperceptibly. Your breath is coming in short gasps and you don’t know if you can take this bodily contact much longer. “Here we go- now see; your arms are like limp noodles. I don’t think you’ve quite got it yet.” This time, he presses his entire body to the curve of your spine and tries again. Your muscles tense, and you hit the carpet with a decisive THWAP! You feel him lean down and whisper in your ear, “That was perfect.” There is a cool breeze on your back. You slowly turn, and he has vanished. You curse silently to yourself. I cannot figure this man out! First he’s broken, then he hates me, then he saves me, and now he’s getting cheeky with me. What is going on? As you feel your pulse slowly return to normal, you complete the task of beating the rugs and decide to return during lunch to complete the rest of your tasks. Surely you can find something else to do. Maybe you should take a shower. That usually clears your mind.


	5. Chapter 5

You decide to start Loki’s laundry since he left the room. You gather the clothes that are strewn about the room, particularly around the bed. I wonder how they got that way- no, I’m trying to calm myself down right now. You take the heap of clothes out of the room and walk to the laundry room. Grabbing a shirt, you reflexively press it to your face and inhale deeply. It has a woodsy, musky scent that ignites your senses. It also smells of… mischief. Strange. Leave it to Loki to smell like a noun. You shrug it off and grab a scrubber and begin to cleanse the garment. A while later, you have washed all of the clothing and arrange it in a sopping pile to be taken out and hung to dry. The basket is heavy, but you manage to take it outside, and you hang all of the garments up. Now you had nothing to do. Then you remember that you have your own laundry to complete, and you might as well get started while Loki’s clothes are drying. You march diligently to your room and gather your things.

After about half an hour has passed, your laundry is done (you really don’t have all that much clothing) and Loki’s clothes are still drying. You sigh, wondering what else you can do to put off returning to Loki’s room to complete your chore of cleaning it. All of a sudden, a mischievous thought strikes your mind. Loki probably wouldn’t notice if one of his scarves was missing… He has so many of them… And they smell ever so lovely. You’ll only take one. You pick a lovely scarf that has a green cross-looking thing on it and a gold ring pattern and sniff it. This will do perfectly. Since the clothes still appear to be wet, you stuff the scarf in your pocket and try to nonchalantly bolt to your room. You reach your room, breathless, and carefully fold the scarf and set it under your pillow. Your heart is racing from your boldness and you grin wickedly. Perhaps I should take that shower now…

You exit the shower feeling refreshed and wonderful. After dressing, you pin up your hair and swing in to visit Cara. She looks much better than earlier.

“Hello, Cara. Are you feeling better?”

“Much. I don’t know what they gave me, but it seems to be working. Look who’s all perky. How is it going with Loki? I have a sense it is working out.”

“He helped me clean one of the carpets… He isn’t as bad as I thought.”

“That’s the spirit! Now, have you done his laundry?”

“It is currently drying outside.”

“Good. He doesn’t like having clothing all over his room. Well, I better let you get back to work.”

“You keep on getting better, okay?” You lean in and give her a hug. She hugs back.

“Love you, little one. Fold those clothes!” You exit the room feeling giddy. You all but skip to the laundry and begin folding it. What’s that ridiculous Midgardian expression? “Walking on sunshine?” That’s how you feel, except you are walking on the Rainbow Bridge. Yes, that about sums it up. You finish folding Loki’s laundry, and since yours is still drying and Loki is more than likely at lunch, you decide to return his clothes to his room. You carefully balance all of the clothing as you walk up the winding staircase and open the door, and you ever-so-gently lay his clothing on his bed. Now, to find his drawers. You blush to yourself. I’m thinking about Loki’s drawers. What a minx I am. You eventually find them after discovering drawers with paper, books, compasses, and other things that you needn’t bother with. You place his things in each drawer, taking care to sort every item by color. He only has items in gold, green, white, gray, and black, so it makes it rather simple.

Once you finish sorting out the socks and tunics and casual clothes, you turn to the slacks and dressy outfits, including the scarves. You glance around the room and BINGO! There’s a closet that appears to be for clothing. You open it, and surely enough, you see pants amongst other things hanging in there. You hang up everything that appears to belong there. You applaud yourself for this, but turn around and realize you haven’t found a place for the scarves. Eyebrows furrowed, you re-search every drawer with a newfound intensity, wanting to prove to some unknown authority that you were capable of finding things on your own.

“Didn’t your mommy ever tell you that it is very, very naughty to search through someone’s drawers without their permission?” How does he DO that? You immediately curtsy and avoid eye contact.

“I am so very sorry Prince Loki. I gathered that I should be able to find the places to put all of your laundry on my own so as not to bother you.” He sauntered towards you, a coy smirk playing on his lips.

“Let me show you where these belong.” He reaches out his hand expectantly and you set the scarves in his hand. He walks over to the drawer right next to his bed and opens it. “This,” he gestures, “is where all of my scarves go.” He then proceeds to take every scarf out of the drawer, re-fold each one, re-fold all of the ones you folded, and painstakingly stacks them back in to the drawer. “Now that’s strange.”

“I’m sorry, sir?”

“One of my scarves appears to be missing. It is my favorite one. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” By Odin’s eye patch, I am about to die.

“I’m afraid I do not know which scarf you are speaking of,” you breathe out easily, looking at the floor.

“Liar. I am the god of mischief and lies. How can you expect to speak such blasphemy in my presence?”

“I really do not know what you are talking about- hey!” He has now invaded your personal space. His eyes are electric green and his nostrils are flared.

“Now, servant,” he whispers, “I know that you have my scarf. I witnessed you stuff it into your dress before you gleefully skipped off to your chambers. Why did you take it, hmm? Do you like the way it smells? The way it feels? Do you fulfill some sort of fantasy by stealing what is not rightfully yours? Or perhaps you have a desire for something more… intimate.” You have stopped breathing at this point. Loki has you backed up to a wall, his hand curled into a fist above your head. “What is it you so desire, girl?”

“I only… wished to have it so… so I-I…”

“So you could what? Dream of me? Picture me there, whispering sweet nothings into your ear?”

“N-no, I would never do that-”

“Would you hold that scarf against your mortal face and breathe in, wishing I would be yours and yours only forever?” By now, you were flustered and couldn’t think straight. You whimper, and then try again.

“Yes.”

“Ah, so you do lust after this monster? Well, let us quench that fire.” Loki leans down and presses his mouth against your forehead. You gasp, shocked by this turn of events. “I have read your thoughts, girl. I know you desire me, desire to “fix me” or something. Perhaps this could be the first step in our relationship.” He brushes his lips across your jawline, then your collarbone, and you are dying. For some reason, he stops.

“What are you doing? Why-?”

 

“End of session one, girl. Go out and polish some silverware or something and come back tomorrow. Perhaps I will lie on my couch and you can ask me about my mother later.” Your eyes are glazed with lust and confusion, and you awkwardly stumble out of Loki’s room into the hallway. What in the nine realms have I gotten myself into?


	6. Chapter 6

In the hallway, you lean against the wall and sink to the ground, putting your head in your hands. You aren’t sure how to feel; you just wonder what had gotten into Loki. He had said that he would lie on a couch and tell you about his mother… whatever that meant. Perhaps you could work something out that could mutually benefit the two of you. You could counsel him, and he could… do whatever. You shake your head and get up, deciding to do something useful with your life. You wander to the kitchen and find that there are dishes to be done. Seeing as that’s a relatively easy chore, you grab a rag and get to work. You aren’t two minutes into it when a voice creeps into your mind. Yes, darling. That’s it. Scrub that pan thoroughly. You look so ravishing. Appalled with your own thoughts, you drop the dish you are scrubbing onto your foot. If it were someone else in this situation, you would find it to be particularly hilarious, but it isn’t nearly so funny when it is you. Sulking, you complete the dishes and hobble over to the cupboard. You grab a loaf of bread and then find some milk elsewhere and munch on that. Your foot is throbbing, but you shake it off. What should you do with yourself? All you can think about is him. His skin, warm on your back. His lips, soft on your collarbone. Well, you did still have his scarf, and it needed to be returned, didn’t it? If Loki happened to be asleep when you showed up, that wouldn’t be your fault. You grin wickedly to yourself, applauding the fact that you could be bad. You decide to wait until midnight. Now what to do with yourself? You get up and go to visit Cara.

“Hello, Cara! How are you?”

“I am very tired… have they served dinner yet?”

“I do not believe so… Why?”

“I need you to be a waitress. I am still not feeling great.”

“I can tell. You still have bags under your eyes.”

“Thanks for your honesty. Geez, and here I thought I was looking like a goddess.” You both laugh heartily.

“I love you, Cara. See you when I get back.”

“You, too, little one.”

You are not thrilled to be on waitress duty, but it could be worse and it beats waiting around for Loki. Loki. He’ll be at dinner. Joy. Walking in to the kitchen, you snag an apron to help with anything you can. The food for tonight is to be mutton with a lot of different fruits. Once you complete slicing the last apple, dinner begins. You snatch up a tray of grapes and sashay into the dining area. Of course, the first person you see is Loki. You walk down the long side of the table, offering food as you go along. All along the way, you feel a pair of eyes following you. You grow more and more anxious as you go along, and then you are there. “Would you care for some grapes, sire?”

“Why yes, I would love some. Except… I am ever so tired from having to perform my princely duties. Would you please feed me?” You scoff. He can’t be serious. Although when he cocks up one eyebrow ever so slightly, you realize he is being quite serious. You grab a grape and hover it above his mouth.

“Well, are you going to open your mouth or what?”

“Your hand is too far away. If you drop the grape, it won’t make it to my mouth. Closer.” You groan and put the grape a few centimeters from his mouth. Your eyes widen when his tongue darts out and wraps around the grape and pulls it in.

 

“Thank you darling, that was quite… refreshing.” Your cheeks are crimson and you stalk away, feeling quite flustered. Tonight you would exact your revenge. Loki thought he could play hardball? You’d show him hardball. You begin to think of a plan, and it involves a certain audacious god, a sexy scarf, and a post. Possibly a bedpost.


	7. Chapter 7

You make it through the rest of dinner without further incident, and when it is over, you rush to clean up so you can set your plan in motion. Somehow, you need to have Loki fall asleep; otherwise he will awaken and ruin everything. It comes to you in a flash: Cara probably has some sort of nightshade brew to help her sleep, since she is still sick. Since you promised to see her after dinner, you have to visit her anyways, but you’ll need to fabricate a story. Arriving at Cara’s room, you have the perfect idea.

“Good evening, Cara. How do you fare on this night?”

“I feel even better now, since you’ve decided to come and visit me.”

“I actually have a favor to ask,” you say carefully, crossing to sit on her bed.

“And what is that, flower?”

“I have had trouble sleeping these past few nights… Could I borrow a dose of atropa belladonna? I believe that could help get me over my sleeping problems.” She frowns.

“Why have you had trouble sleeping? Are you having nightmares again?” You quickly reply.

“No, I’ve just not been able to sleep. I believe it’s because of Loki. He has occupied my mind like the devil. Could I please borrow some? Only for this night.” She sighed in consent.

“Okay, but just tonight. I know the side effects are not pleasant if you use it for too long.” You smile and kiss her on the forehead.

“Thank you ever so much.” She points out where the medicine is and you measure out a dose and slip it into a vial she has. With one last curtsy, you are gone, scrambling to your room. Even though you will return to Loki’s room later in the night, you still grab his scarf. IT is quite a lovely scarf, and you honestly don’t know why you desire to carry it. Perhaps because it smells of him.

Now you need to sneak into Loki’s room. Easier said than done. You muster up your courage and slink around the castle until you are in front of his room. Taking a deep breath, you go in and tiptoe over to his bedside table. You noticed earlier that there was a cup there, filled with a drink of some sort. You pull out the vial from your pocket and carefully pour it into the cup. Just to be thorough, you swirl your concoction and pray that he will actually drink it. You turn around to leave and hear a door opening. By Odin’s beard, he can’t be in here already. In a panic, you glance around and swiftly run to his closet and slip inside, leaving a crack so the door doesn’t click. Suddenly the room is filled with voices arguing.

“You never enjoy yourself at the festivities! You always mope about, refusing to interact with a single soul, and yet you want to be king? A king must know his subjects, must care about them and their problems, Loki. Why can’t you understand that?” You knew this voice. If only he would move a little more to the left…

“Why would it matter if I interacted with the subjects? They all favor you. You, with your obnoxious tendency to get drunk and shout ‘Another!’ whilst flirting with all females within a two-foot radius. What kind of behavior is that for a prince and future king of Asgard? The subjects need someone who will lead them, who will teach them their place!” That was definitely Loki.

“I engage in the merriment because that is what I am expected to do. If you ever want a chance at being the king, I suggest you do the same.”

“I could be the life of the party. I could be bigger, stronger, and wiser, none of it would matter. We both know who the future king will be. Everyone knows. It will be you, Thor. Is it because of your infinite wisdom or cleverness? No, it is because father favors you over me. He always has, and he always will.” You hear a slap, followed by heavy footsteps and a door slamming. Your eyes brim with tears when you hear a soft noise. It’s a suppressed sob, a muted weeping, and it is enough to break your heart. You wonder if you should reveal your hiding place. You decide to do so, carefully stepping out of the closet and calling out to him.

“Loki?” you whisper, praying that he doesn’t kill you on the spot. He just sits on the edge of his bed, his shoulders slightly shaking.

“Go away, you pathetic mortal. I could sense that you were in there from the moment I stepped into this room. You should really learn how to mask your thoughts. I could hear you thinking ‘By Odin’s beard’ or something like that. I just need to be left alone.” You take a big risk, and walk over and sit behind his back.

“Can’t I just sit here and listen for a while?”

“What is there to hear? My brother is to be king, the miserable oaf, and he can barely tie his shoestrings, and I am to forever be in his shadow. No; scratch that. I AM his shadow. I go where he goes, doing great things that mimic what he does, but nobody ever recognizes the shadow.”

“I don’t think you’re a shadow,” you say quietly. “I have watched you and Prince Thor over the years as you have grown. He spent more time contemplating how to fight in battle while you were practicing how to strategically place armies. While he was out riding horses or participating in tomfoolery, you were reading books and practicing your magic. The concentration required to do those things is impeccable. Thor may have an outgoing personality, but you have a beautiful mind. A king must be able to socialize, yes, but that is not as important as being able to make decisions for the kingdom. You will think logically, and Thor will think with his heart. His decisions will benefit the ones he sees as being in need, but your decisions will benefit the majority. If I were to pick a king, it would be you, Loki. Not Thor.” He gazes into your eyes and you reach forward, brushing a tear off of his cheek.

“Thank you very much, darling, but I am afraid your opinion differs with that of Odin.”

“Odin is a man blinded by his own eyes. He cannot see a good thing that is in front of him because he is so focused on another. Perhaps he will come to his senses if Thor makes some sort of mistake, but until then, what can you do? He will not be impressed with anything you do, because he refuses to be.”

“That is what is so incredibly infuriating! He never notices any of my accomplishments!”

“Sometimes you have to stop worrying about the people who don’t worry about you, and start worrying about the ones that do. If you ever need me, I am just a five minute walk away.” You rise, but are abruptly pulled back down.

“Not so fast, little one. What where you doing in my room? I can smell something in the air, and I know it is not me. What have you put in here?” You think quickly, and offer up a lame excuse.

“Well, Cara, the servant who used to clean your room, told me that sometimes you suffered from insomnia and that you liked for atropa belladonna to be put in your drink.”

“Oh. Well, how thoughtful of her to remember that. Ask next time, or you will know the wrath of a god.”

“Yes, sir,” you squeak. You promptly rise and begin to walk out of the room.

“See you tomorrow, girl. Since you have slipped in your ‘rehabilitation’ or whatever you wish to call it, I get to keep up my half during lunch. See you at noon. Bring that scarf, would you? I’m sure we could find use of it.”

 

How he managed to strike fear into you after being so vulnerable, you were sure you would never understand. You walked to your room, feeling pensive. It disturbs me that his father elects to ignore him. I wish there was something I could do about that. You sigh to yourself as you dress for bed, and the last thing you see in your mind is two green eyes, filled with tears.


	8. Chapter 8

You awaken with a start, your heart pounding and mind racing. You can’t remember what you dreamt; all you know is that it brought back bad memories from your childhood. Flashing lights, burning buildings, red eyes, screams and cries for help. The nightmares cannot come back. They had already taken so many nights of sleep. Cara always knew what to say after you had a nightmare, so you step across the hallway to visit her. She is still asleep, her face pale and sickly, the bags under her eyes purple like bruises. You sigh and sit on her bed, stroking her hair. She awakens, and blinks for a few seconds before her eyes focus on you.

“Good morning sunshine, the Bifrost says hello,” you say quietly with a grin. She smiles weakly, and then grimaces in pain. Your eyes widen in fear. “Are you alright?”

“No, little one. It is as I feared. I believe my time is approaching.”

“What? No, Cara, you can’t leave me! It’s too soon! You have so much more life left to experience. You can’t go. I- I need you,” you say, your voice breaking and your throat swelling as tears swim in your eyes.

“No, no, little one, don’t do that. I’m not worth the tears. The stars give us only so many years, and I have reached a point in which the stars are calling me back home.” You grasp her hand, stroking her palm, silent tears streaming down your face.

“I need you,” you repeat. “Please don’t go.”

“It is my time. But first, I need to tell you something. Something I swore I would never tell anyone. However, I believe you have the right to know.”

“What is it?”

“Your parents were royalty, little one. You used to be a princess. Oh, how they loved you. You were such an adorable child. Your father was one of the wisest and fairest kings to have ever graced the universe, and your mother was the most compassionate woman I have met. They absolutely adored you, and couldn’t wait for you to grow older so that you could go out into the realms and discover everything. However, they knew trouble was coming. When you were about seven, they received word that the kingdom was to be put under attack by the Jotuns. Your father pleaded with the Asgardians, begging Odin for assistance. Odin said he would consider it. Meanwhile, your father prepared to lead his troops into battle against the Jotuns. He believed if he could lead them out of the kingdom, the battle would be won. He assumed the position of commander, thinking that only he could flawlessly execute the plans. Your mother begged him not to go. Being a man of integrity, he denied her requests. He left the castle the morning of the attack, and you and your mother cried for hours. Since all of the guards were on duty, you were forbidden to go outside or even look out of windows. Some time passed, and everyone assumed that the battle was going well. We were mistaken. Suddenly, the doors burst open and the most terrifying blue monsters tore through. I grabbed your hand, since I was your nurse, and your mother lead us to the throne room. She armed herself with a sword, and I armed myself with a dagger. You hid behind the throne. We tried to fight off those beasts, but eventually they got the better of us, and they had your mother and I bound at the wrists, with ice shards pointed at our throats. They wanted to know where you were so they could take you back to Jotunheim as some sort of sick war prize. They informed us that the king was dead, and by withholding information we would only bring harm to ourselves. They knew I was only the nurse, so they interrogated your mother first. She refused to reveal where you were. They did awful things to her. Terrible, awful things. I had to stand by and watch. Eventually, they killed her because she loved you too much to tell them where you were. They turned to me. At that moment, Odin broke into the throne room with his army and proceeded to obliterate all of the Jotuns. Odin turned to me to explain what happened, and I did. He decided that he would take us both in. He couldn’t adopt you as his own because you were not a goddess, but he said you could be a servant, that you would always have a home in Asgard. I am so sorry that I have never told you this before, I swore to Odin that I wouldn’t.” You sat there, speechless. How could any of this be possible? “Oh, and there’s something in the drawer of my nightstand.” You pull the drawer open, and gasp. A tiara, adorned with emerald jewels, is sitting there. You pick it up, twirling it and admiring it.

“Was this… mine?”

“It is yours, flower. The crown falls to you- oh!” Her face contorts with pain, and you rush to her side.

“Should I call a nurse? What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to listen, little one.” Her pale hand reaches out and finds your face. “Always remember that you are a princess. It has been an honor serving as your nurse and your companion. Odin knows you are royalty. If ever you need anything, speak to him. I love you more than words could ever say.” Her hand falls, and she struggles to take in a breath.

“I love you, too, Cara.”

“They say you go to the stars when you die. I hope that’s true, because I will get to see you every night. Look there, and you will always see my eyes, watching over you…” she trails off. Her eyes close, and her chest stops moving. You immediately lean down, checking for a heartbeat. It’s too late. She’s gone.

You scream in agony, your heart shattering into a thousand pieces. Your friend, your mentor, your honorary sister. Gone.


	9. Chapter 9

You don't know how long you sit there drowning in a torrential downpur of tears. An hour. Two hours. You simply cannot accept the fact that Cara is gone. You refuse to believe it. But time keeps ticking on, and you realize that you have to tell someone in order to make arrangements for her... You go to another female servant, Leela, and tell her what happened. She immediately gets help, and nurses rush to Cara's room. They know they are too late when the lay their eyes on her pale figure. A funeral is suggested, and all of the other servants say they will take care of it. Cara was very well-liked by all, a maternal figure to those who had no one to look up to. At some point, you remember that you have to go to Loki's room to clean. You hope he will understand why you are upset and leave you alone.

You gather the necessary materials to clean Loki's room and trump up the stairs, your face still red and puffy from your crying. Your throat is still swollen, and you would rather lie in your room and die from sorrow than anything else. You swing open his door and shuffle in, hoping he isn't there. Then you would have to talk to him and frankly, you weren't his problem. He was your problem. You see nobody and assume he is at lunch or something. You begin cleaning, thinking of Cara. Your eyes well up with tears once more. What am I supposed to do wothout her? She was my everything. Who will I talk to? You let the tears fall freely, since there is no one to see your pain.

"Ah, here you are. Did you bring that scarf- What's wrong, darling?" You nearly jump out of your skin. You were not expecting Loki to pop up.

"I'm so terribly sorry that you are seeing me this way, my lord. I should have sent s-someone e-else." You become choked up and can barely speak. "S-sorry-y," you begin to gather your things to leave. Loki crosses the room and empties your arms. He grasps your hands in his palms, gently rubbing his thumb against the backs of them.

"I know not what happened, but allow me to be of service. Though I possess a silver tongue, I have often been told that I am a good listener. Now. What happened?" You are unable to meet his gaze that is burning the top of your head. Instead, you drop your hands and fall into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. You can tell this is not what he expected, because he stands stiffly for a few moments, but then he loosens up and wraps his arms around you. You cry into his shoulder, the tunic he is wearing becoming soaked with your tears.

"I'm so sorry," you manage to whimper.

"Shh, no more of that. I just need to know what happened. Who is causing you this agony? I will have them exiled immediately."

"She's gone. Cara is gone," you lose it completely.

"Oh." Loki looks puzzled for a moment. He pulls you from his shirt and picks you up and carries you to his bed.

"What- are-are- you d-doing?" You glance up at him, pleading with your eyes.

"I have the coziest bed in all of Asgard. You will take a nap while I personally make arrangements for Cara. You weren't the only one who was close to her, you know." With that, Loki turns and leaves. "And don't even think of sneaking out. I will need your help to plan her service." He disappears. You curl into a ball on top of his sheets and settle in for what you know will be a restless sleep. You close your eyes and cry yourself to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

You are awoken by the sound of a soft velvety voice. "Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness, and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life..." You roll over as quietly as you can, trying to not alert him that you had woken up. You peek out from under the covers, and see him over by his drawers, getting dressed for the night. He already has some loose-fitting trousers on, but he hasn't put on a sleeping shirt. Then you remember- he doesn't wear a shirt to sleep. You groan out loud, hating the fact that you won't be able to focus on anything. He turns, worry creasing his forehead.

"Are you all right? Do you need something?"

"Actually, could you please pur a shirt on? I cannot focus when you aren't wearing one."

"A strange request, but I shall grant it. But really, are you okay?" Your brain starts to fight its way out of the haze, and it all comes rushing back to you. Cara. Cara. Cara. You fight back tears, knowing that you need to be strong.

"I've been better," you say, your vooice thick. Loki crosses the room and slips a shirt on.

"Based on your voice, I'd say a lot better."

"Cara was like a mother to me. My parents died when I was younger, nobly fighting for their kingdom-" you stop, remembering that this is sensitive information.

"You lived in a kingdom?" he says in shock, spinning around and walking towards you.

"Yes, a different one than here. I was a peasant, and my parents were fighting to defend our little kingdom from the Frost Giants. Those monsters took everything from us." He immediately freezes.

"The Frost Giants?" he repeats.

"Yes, they killed both of my parents and almost everyone else. However, Cara was a... friend, who helped to protect me. Then, your father came and took us to Asgard, to have room and board in exchange for servanthood." He stands in stoic silence.

"You think the Frost Giants are monsters?"

"Well, at least the ones who invaded my kingdom." He frowns and turns around, so tjat you cannot see his face. "Have I said soemthing offensive, my lord?"

"No, no, you've done nothing wrong. I've just begun thinking of the... preparations that must be made for Cara." You put your face in your palms, trying to black out your vision.

"Must we speak about that?"

"I've already made the main arrangements. I ust need to know when you would like to have it, the flower arrangements, etc."

"Snapdragons were here favorite. Every color under the rainbow bridge."

"Of course. Who would you like to invite?"

"All of the servants, and... you? I don't know which lives were touched by her."

"Okay, that will be arranged. Anything else?"

"Can the funeral be at dawn? That was her favorite time of day. New beginnings and all that."

"I will see to it. Is that all?"

"I believe so. Except..." you trail off, looking up to him. He turns, cocking one eyebrow up expectantly.

"Yes?"

"I don't have anything decent to wear," you barely whisper, your face burning with shame.

"Oh, well if that's the only problem, I will have someone collect your meaurements and you shall have a divine gown for the funeral. Black as the night."

"No, not black! She HATED black! Make it... a dark purple."

"A dark purple?" he furrows his eyebrows.

"Yeah, like, eggplant."

"I feel lucky that I have literally no idea what you are talking about. I will request this egg dress." You roll your eyes.

"Where shall I sleep? Do you wish for me to return to my chambers?"

"No, don't do that. You can sleep in here. I will take the couch."

"No, that is ridiculous. You will sleep here, and I-"

"I refuse. You are sleeping in my bed tonight. No questions. I am your prince. Do not fight me on this. I will set the funeral for two days from now. Good night, my darling." You smile to yourself as he saunters away. By Heimdall's beard, that man is going to be the death of me. You settle in for the night, hoping the nightmares will evade you. You close your eyes and drift off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day is slow and foggy, you stay in bed basically the whole day, mourning and wallowing in sorrow. Loki flurries about, making arrangements for the funeral the next day. He brings you good food that makes you feel sleepy, and it satisfies your soul. You drift in and out of sleep, and the next time you awaken is about an hour before the procession. Loki is the one to wake you.

"Darling, it's time to get up. I have laid out your dress. There will be a servant to help comb your hair and whatnot. I shall be waiting in the dining area. You have an hour." He spins and leaves the room. You slowly rise and pick up the dress. It is absolutely stunning. Just the right shade of purple, not too revealing, the right length, everything. You shoo off the servant, knowing you can do your own hair. You slowly comb it through, making sure every strand falls perfectly into place. You steady yourself, and head out.

Loki is waiting in the dining area just like he said he would. He is in full armor (minus the helmet, for the purpose of respect), and it leaves you feeling breathless. He turns towards you, and you can see his eyes widen slightly.

"You look... Absolutely stunning." You blush tremendously.

"Thank you. You look quite, uh, nice yourself." Oh my gosh did you seriously just tell Loki he looked NICE? I can't believe you couldn't come up with something better than that. By Mjolnir, you are smooth. He offers his arm to you and you take it, solemnly walking towards the ceremony.

The service is attended by all of the servants (some are absent due to duties) and it is absolutely beautiful. You had to hand it to Loki, he could really get stuff done in a short amount of time. You cry (of course) but you also feel a sense of serenity.You remember what Cara told you right before she died, and you decided to make a bold move after the ceremony ended. You strode over to Loki.

"Loki, could I talk to you?"

"Of course, darling. Was the service okay?"

"The service could not have been more perfect. It's actually about something else. Could we go somewhere more... private?" Your heart is pounding and you can feel the heat rising in your cheeks. He raises an eyebrow in question, and you take him by the hand and lead him out into the hallway.

"Could you tell me what you're doing-" you cut him off with your hand on his mouth. He looks kind of angry, but you can see something burning in his eyes. Desire? You don't know, but you need to tell him the truth. About everything.

"All right, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. I understand you're a prince and you can punish me later or whatever, but I technically have some say in that, because I am a princess." He looks absolutely confused. "I know. Let me explain. But no interruptions, promise?" He slowly nods, and you take your hand away. He folds his arms over his chest and looks at you attentively. You take a deep breath and explain EVERYTHING that Cara told you. He gasps at the right points, looks concerned, and even puts his hand on your shoulder at some point. You finish the story, and look into his eyes. "I'm so sorry that I lied to you. I just didn't know how to explain-" he then cuts you off with his hand. Your breathing increases rapidly.

"I am only a trifle upset by this. I can see why you didn't tell me about this earlier. However, I feel that we must speak to my father about this-" you violently shake your head no. "But how will you gain back your kingdom otherwise? We are going, whether you come willingly or not. If you wish to fight me, this will be extremely fun for me, but not so great for you. Or, you can come along as if we were going for a picnic. Which do you choose?" You rip his hand from your mouth and pout, stalking off to the throne room. "That's a girl! What a trooper." You turn and stare daggers into his eyes. "So very sorry, milady." He jogs towards you and stops in front of you.

"Excuse me, *master*, but I have urgent matters to discuss with Odin." He grins wickedly.

"I do quite like it when you call me master. I've decided you are not cooperating properly, so this will have to be done the hard way." Before you can ask whatever that means, you are swept up over his shoulder like a bag of barley. He takes off, amidst your profanities and protests. You hear him laughing evilly, and decide to give up. You are hit with an idea before you approach the throne room. Right before he sets you down, you bite Loki in the shoulder. You nearly scream when you are pinned against the wall a split second later, a hand above your head. He growls into your ear: "Little girl, you do not know it, but that is a dangerous game to play with me. I do not play fair, and I will always win. Now, prepare to meet Odin." Your head spins, your heart punds, your eyes fight to blink.

You stumble in to the throne room, guided by Loki, and you see the All-Father in his golden splendor. You curtsy. He sighs heavily.

"I was wondering when you would be coming to see me."


	12. Chapter 12

"I was wondering when you would be coming to see me." Your breath catches in your throat as you struggle to find words to put together. Confusion crosses your features as Loki takes control of the situation.

"Yes, father, I figured that you would be. You always insist on having these nonesensical conversations. It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just... I don't love them. (Thor movie) This is one of the servants. Do you know who she is? Look up, darling." Your eyes slowly move upward and your gaze locks with Odin's.

"I do not believe I know her. There are hundreds of servants here, Loki, how am I expected to know all of them? If you're playing one of your tricks, I do not have the time for it. What do you require of me?"

"That is absolute nonesense. You know exactly who she is." You bite your tongue, knowing you could be punished for speaking out. "Or do you not remember? Her parents, the Jotuns? You rescued her? Cara was her servant?" Recognition flits momentarily in his eye. "Ahh, yes, of course you do. Although she wasn't cast out on a frozen rock, was she? She was no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of her. (Thor movie) What was your purpose that day?" you can tell that Loki is furious, it is evident in his shaking fists and flared nostrils. Why on Asgard is he being so defensive of me?

At this point, Odin has his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. It is evident that he doe not want to have this conversation.

"Son, I know we aren't on the best of terms-"

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME YOUR SON!" Loki roars, and you wince.

"I don't understand why you insist on being this way-"

"I have every reason to be this way, I am only the monster you made me-"

"You have no right to speak to me in such a manner-"

"I beg to differ, *father*-"

"Why must you take that tone with me-" You decide to be bold.

"Um, excuse me," you cut in. At this point, Loki has ascended up the stairs and is only a few steps away from Odin. Both of their heads snap towards you. "Odin, I have no brawl with you. I only want to know why you never told me any of this and why I don't remember any of my past."

"Very brave to do that. Or perhaps maybe a little touched in the mind... I came to your aid because you needed help. I kept you because honestly, I believed I could use your land. Heimdall informed me that Cara told you of your past. We simply rearranged your mind a little to hide those memories. If you never knew they existed, how could you remember them? I was hoping that one day I could explain your past to you and marry you off to a prince from a foreign land and reap the benefits from that."

"You are a monster," Loki scowls. "How dare you toy with someone's life in that way. Are you some sort of sick puppet master? Gods, you disgust me." Loki grabs your hand and begins to lead you out of the room. You are utterly bewildered by all of this information and are simply dragged along.

"If you would let me explain-" Loki spins around.

"You have been given ample time to explain. We shall be in my chambers if you manage to fabricate another lie." Odin just lets Loki leave. He is still fuming when you both arrive at his door. He opens the door and says, "So sorry that you had to see that, darling."

"I beg your pardon, but what in the name of the Rainbow Bridge possessed you to do that?" you brazenly state, following him into his room.

"Do what?" You are shocked.

"Speak to your father in that manner, of course."

"That's usually how he communicates with me. Every now and then he throws in a 'huarghh.'"

"Why were you so defensive of me?" He chuckles darkly.

"Did you not know, darling? Sometimes I forget of your innocence. I am adopted. I am truly Loki Laufeyson of Jotunheim." You look in his eyes, thinking he is trying to trick you, but the bitterness and pain tell the truth.

"You're adopted?"

"Yes."

"From Jotunheim?" He tenses.

"Yes."

"Does that mean..." He turns his back to you.

"Yes. I am a monster. A freak. Another stolen relic. Like yourself." When he turns to face you, there are swirling light blue patterns all along his body, backdropped by cerulean skin. His eyes are rubies, and they glare into your soul. You are hit suddenly by a very painful memory. Agony shoots through your temple as you try to maintain balance. Red eyes approach you. You can hear a woman screaming in agony in the background. Cruel laughter mixes in. The adrenaline is beginning to wear off. Fear is crawling all over your body, sneaking up your spine. Why is the woman screaming?

Then you realize.

It's you.


	13. Chapter 13

"Darling? I am so sorry. Please be okay. Don't leave me. I need you. Stay with me." The voice echoes in your throbbing skull. What on Asgard happened? You remember Loki getting angry at Odin, going to his room, something happened, flashes of blue and red, then only blackness. You can feel that you are moving, but your legs aren't doing anything. Your eyes are trying to open, but your brain is fighting it, attempting to gather clarity and assess the situation with your ears before allowing you to see the world around you. You inhale deeply, since your nose seems to be working, and you smell mischief. Loki. Loki is... carrying you? You try to speak, but only whimpers escape.

"I'm so sorry. I just got angry. I didn't mean to change like that. It just happens when I'm uncontrollably upset." You finally win the battle with your eyes. You look up, and see a gorgeous jawline.

"Hey..." you mutter, and relief floods his face.

"Thank the gods! You're okay! I was so worried." He stops and sets you down on the ground, and takes a seat next to you.

"What... happened?" Your vision goes in and out of focus, and you fight to maintain balance.

"I am so sorry. I turned into the monster that I am, you began to scream unbearably, and then you passed out. I am a terrible person. I am so unbelievably sorry." Monster? You can't... but then you remember. A frost giant. That's what he is. Yet he can change his form? You had heard that he possessed magical abilities, but you never could have imagined anything like this. You glance at him, and your heart slightly breaks. He has his head in his hands, much like the first time you met him. You scoot closer to him and begin to rub his back.

"It's okay. I think one of the repressed memories resurfaced. Your... transformation must have triggered it."

"Well I'm assuming that you'll be done with me now since I have that effect on you." He pulls his hands from his face and attempts to stand up, but you latch on to him and refuse to let him stand. "What are you doing?"

"Don't go. You aren't... you're not a monster." He spits out a laugh, laced with venom.

"Obviously your brain is still a bit rattled. I am a monster. I turn blue when I can't control my emotions, and sometimes I even shoot ice. I cannot be allowed near you, lest I injure you emotionally or physically." You hold on tighter.

"No. You may have triggered a memory, but I blame Odin for making you emotional. Speaking of Odin, is that why you hate him? Because he isn't your real father?"

"Well, sort of. He did much the same thing to me that he did to you. He hid the fact that I was adopted from me. He had hoped to someday immerse me in their culture to unite us with them or something. I would have never agreed to something so ridiculous. I discovered the fact that I was a Frost Giant when Thor foolishly invaded their realm. I confronted Odin about it, and he fell into Odinsleep. Father of the year, eh?"

"It all makes sense now," you half-whisper to yourself.

"What does?"

"I thought it was strange that you came to my aide so quickly, and that what you were telling him is what I was thinking in my mind.You were so defensive of me. You had already been in my position."

"I guess you could say that..."

"What was the real reason? I only want to understand."

"Well there's actually something I've been meaning to tell you..." He looks at you nervously. You nod encouragingly. "Darling, I have enjoyed your company immensely. At first, I was apprehensive of you because Ithought you were just another servant who I was stuck having to deal with. You are only a mortal. You have exceeded all of my expectations for someone so... human. Your mind is beautiful, your wit is sharper than my dagger, your heart is full to bursting, you light up a room and every aspect of my life with your charming laugh and divine beauty. Never has someone cared so dearly for me. No one else understands me and listens to me like you do." His eyes were looking down shyly, but his eyes dart up to meet yours. Your heart pounds in your chest. Where is he going with this?

"I just want to tell you that I am irreversibly and utterly in love with you." Your mouth curves into a smile, and your eyes light up. He leans towards you, and you close your eyes as your lips meet.

The first kiss.

Loki pulls away from you, his breathing a little heavier than normal. Wow, that was perfect. You mind is spinning.

"Cat got your silver tongue?" you tease. He licks his lips, and you can see the desire in his eyes.

"We should get you back to your room, darling. It's very late." You gulp, wondering what he was planning to do woth you. He takes you by the hand and leads you to your chambers. He opens the door and allows you in first. You are slightly embarrassed by the size of the room, it must seem so small to him. His head almost brushes the top of the ceiling.

"I'm sorry that it is so small."

"It's charming, just like you." He slowly strides towards you, and you back up until the backs of your legs hit the bed. You can feel your pulse racing with anticipation. He closes the gap and leans down to grasp your chin. This time, the kiss is not innocent. You can feel the desire in it. You sit on the bed, drawing him closer, inviting him in, but he stops, then backs away from you slightly.

"Why did you stop?"

"I was not clearly thinking. I cannot compromise your innocence. I- I'll see you tomorrow." He briskly exits the room. You are left in the aftermath of his... mischief. You can't help but think to yourself: Did I do something wrong?


	14. Chapter 14

You sit in disbelief. Loki had actually kissed you... but then he left. Because of you innocence. Odin darn it all. When you were around him, you could barely contain yourself. It was quite maddening that he could wind you up that fast and leave you like this, a hot mess. You decide that you simply cannot allow him to do that. Seeing as the sun was set, you slink out of your room and tread lightly about the castle. In the courtyard, you can hear the sound of someone pacing back and forth. Perhaps it is Loki. As you round a corner, you see a flash of armor. That has to be him. As you open your mouth to speak, it is covered roughly with a hand. You twist towards your attacker, and see that it is none other than Mr. Ile.

"Did you miss me?" he breathes out, and your nostrils are penetrated with the stench of foul alcohol. Disgusting. He begins to drag you away and you scream, but it's muted by his grimy hand. He chuckles darkly. "No prince this time to save you? How sad. I believe it falls to me to be your noble escort for the night. I shall take you to your bedroom. We are going to have some fun." He roughly shoves you into a corner and you can feel your face get slightly scratched on the pillar. Don't even think about trying to escape. I have a dagger in my hand at your back. You're going to pretend that we are having a lovely walk for the night, and you will do all that I ask you." Your eyes widen in fear and you silently nod. "I'm going to take away my hand no. Be silent." You nod again, and he takes away his hand, but is still at your back.

You are forced to walk towards the individual who is pacing. It's not Loki, it's Thor. He stops pacing as he sees you cross the walkway with Ile.

"Good evening, Prince Thor," Mr. Ile says ever so politely. "I was just escorting this young servant back to her quarters. You know how dangerous it is at night. 

"Ah, yes," Thor booms. "Wait a moment. Are you the servant Loki has been so entranced with?" You fear to answer, instead silently pleading to Thor with your eyes. He cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes.

"You must be mistaken, sire. I believe you must be speaking of somebody else. I is very late, and I believe we shall be heading on our way." He moves to take you away, and you curse to yourself as a tear rolls down your face. 

"Actually, Mr. Ile, I believe I will escort the lady to her room."

"I insist-"

"No, I insist. I am the prince. Would you have me summon my powers?" He cocks an eyebrow, dropping the gauntlet.

"No, sire," he spits through clenched teeth, throwing you at Thor. Thor catches you in his arms. Ile stalks away, jamming his hands in his pockets. 

"Are you alright?" Thor asks under his breath. You reply by crying more profusely. "Ile?"

"What?" he turns.

"If I catch you with her again, I will see to it personally that you are banished to Jotunheim." Ile scoffs and angrily stomps away. Thor peers down at you. "Did he hurt you?" You attempt to collect yourself.

"No, but he-had- a dagger- at- at my b-back," you blubber out. He gives you space and time to calm down. "That's not the first time he's tried something with me. Loki happened to e there last time and rescued me. I cannot thank you enough for this time. He is a vile man."

"It is my duty to protect my people, from foreign or domestic harms. I will speak to Loki about this and he can decide how he wishes to deal with the matter. I believe I owe you a thank you as well. I have seen you two-er, enjoying each other's company, particularly earlier tonight." You blush profusely. You and Loki needed better hiding spots. "You are making him a better god. Whatever you are doing, everyone is most grateful for it."

"Thank you, I guess. I was actually trying to find Loki before I was attacked. Would you happen to know where he is?"

"He is up in his study, two doors down from his bedroom to the left. I'll show you the way." He smiles kindly at you and offers his arm to you. You take it, and stroll with him until you arrive at the door. "Right here. You two have fun in there," he chuckles, a deep rumbling sound that resonates in his chest. You blush some more, and he leaves you there.

You enter the room, and see Loki reading, curled up in a chair. He appears to be so enthralled with his book that he doesn't notice you enter. You tiptoe over to his chair and boldly plop down on his lap. He immediately throws you and the book to the ground, summoning a ball of energy. He smirks when he realizes it's you.

"There's not many people who sneak up on me." You look up at him and laugh. "Why do you laugh at me, little one?"

"Your reaction was quite over-the-top."

"Believe me, if you had grown up with Thor, you would have reacted in a similar manner. I am sorry for the way I acted earlier. I was about to lose control- I justy didn't want to hurt you."

"Oh, it's fine. What were you reading?"

"Oh, this piece of Midgardian literature by a man named Shakespeare. It's called Coriolanus. Absolutely fascinating." You smile.

"Who is Shakespeare?" His eyes light up like a child and he begins telling you of plays and sonnets and all inds of other things that sound fascinating. "A sonnet is a love poem? Can you read me one?" He immediately rushes over to the bookcase and picks up an old dusty volume. He returns to the chair and sits, and you lean back on his legs to listen.

"Sonnet 130, by Mr. William Shakespeare:

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;  
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;  
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;  
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.  
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,  
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;   
And in some perfumes is there more delight  
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.  
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know  
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;  
I grant I never saw a goddess go;  
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground-"

"This is a terrible love poem!" You blurt out. "He's insulting her! Why on earth do you read this?"

"I haven't finished, love. Would you allow me to?" You nod sheepishly. "Thank you. *ahem*:

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare  
As any she belied with false compare. 

See? He really loves her. He knows their love will be eternal because he doesn't base it on her appearance. It's true love. He may think she is beautiful, but it's because of her essence, her very soul, that he loves her." You get off of the floor and crawl into his lap.

"That was lovely. Would you venture to say that is how you feel about me?"

"Yes. However, you are far my beautiful than the poem discusses. But that's not why I love you." You kiss him excitedly. He pushes you back. "What was that for?"

"You just said trhat you love me."

"It seems that I have. Well, it is true. I love you. However, I cannot be alone with you like this, or in a bedroom, or any place at all where other people are not present. I can barely restrain myself from taking you and having my way with you." You lean in and sweetly his the tip of his nose. He growls.

"I trust you."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do, and there's nothing you can do about it," you say in a singsongy voice.

"I picked a feisty one," he sighs. "I guess this is only what I deserve."

"Would you like to know a secret?" you whisper, almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, I do quite like this. What is it?" he whispers back.

"You have to take me to my room first," you say seductively. He stares at you in disbelief, then realizes how serious you are. When you both arrive there, he looks at you expectantly. You steady your hands on his shoulders and get up on your tiptoes and whisper in his ear "I love you, too." His smile lights up the hallway. You attack him with a kiss, stealing away his breath, and then you quickly disentangle yourself and slip into your room. You smile to yourself. 

He loves you.


	15. Chapter 15

Loki (PLOT TWIST EHEHEHE!)

Loki slides down her door, his rear scooching to the floor. By the nine, she loves me. She really does. I can't begin to process this. I am so unbelievably happy. He stands and brushes himself off, and merrily strolls to his room. On the way, he happens to bump into Thor.

"Brother! How do you fare on this late evening?"

"I am well," replied Loki. "Why are you out of bed so late?"

"I could ask the same of you. I was actually looking for you, to talk to you about something that happened to your, um, friend." Loki laughs.

"The servant girl? I do believe you mean the woman I am courting." Thor's jaw drops.

"Courting? Dear brother, do you not think-"

"I love her," Loki whispers. Thor is beyond words.

"Well, congratulations I suppose. I know she is of royal heritage-"

"You WHAT?" Loki growls, getting in Thor's face.

"Father informed me. I am terribly sorry. I was wondering why Odin wasn't attempting to cover up your relationship. You should be grateful, Loki-"

"It should matter not if she was a servant or a goddess or a Midgardian woman! I will court whomever I deem worthy! YOU, of all people, should understand that! He is NOT my FATHER!" Loki roars, his voice echoing down the corridor. Thor held up his hands in a peacemaking gesture.

"Peace, brother. Would you like to hear the news I have of your dame?" Loki's breath slows as his pulse returns to normal.

"I presume." Thor chooses his next words carefully.

"Earlier, your lady was walking along the corridor, with Ile trailing close behind. I asked how she was faring, and she began to cry. Ile had her at knife point, leading her who-knows-where to have his way with her. When I asked her if she was okay, she told me that once before he had done something similar. Am I correct?" Loki is raging, barely containing his emotions.

"Where is he?" he manages to say between clenched teeth.

"I know you love her, but I don't believe now is the time-" Loki grabs Thor by the front of his armor.

"He almost assaulted her. Now IS the time."

"I'm assuming he went to his quarters." Loki lets go and turns on his heel to find Ile. I am no longer putting up with this, this MONSTER. Tonight, he pays.

 

Back to you...

 

Loki loves me. You smile like a schoolgirl. Who said only fools fell in love? You may be a fool, but Loki surely is not. You sit up when you hear a knock at your door. "Who is it?"

"It is Thor. May I speak with you, madam?" You pull on a robe and open the door. Worry is in Thor's eyes.

"What's wrong?" your heart clenches, fearing that Loki is injured or in danger.

"I told Loki about Ile, what he did to you. I fear that he is on his way to... relieve Ile of his duties. I couldn't talk sense into him. Could you show me his quarters? I believe banishing him to Jotunheim or sending him to prison would be a wiser decision than whatever Loki has planned for him." You stand for a moment, torn between saving Ile and letting him die. I couldn't live with another person's blood on my hands. You nod, and lead Thor off. You only hope you aren't too late.

 

Loki...

 

"I did not give you permission to SPEAK you filthy demon! Must I tie your mouth up, too?" Ile is shakes his head in fear, already having his arms and legs tied up. He is in a chair, and Loki is circling him. "So you enjoy harming young girls? Do you attack those who are lesser than you because you know they can't fight back? Now that the tables are turned, how do you feel about it?" Ile sweats, and his eyes widen when he sees Loki summon a ball of energy. He almost loses it when Loki crouches down to eye level with him. "I'm not going to kill you. Not at first. I'm going to invade your mind. What you most dread, desire, everything will be known to me. I'm not going to stop until I torture you. Slowly. Intimately. In every way I know you fear. And then you’ll wake just long enough to see my good work. And when you scream, I’ll split your skull. This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" Ile spits in his face and Loki's sadistic smirk becomes a snarl.

"You're a monster." he manages in a quivering voice. 

"Oh, no. You're the monster," Loki spits. As soon as Loki prepared his hand to fire at Ile, the door slams open.

 

You...

"No, stop! Loki, don't! You're better than this, you're better than him. You don't have to harm him. Please." You gaze up into his eyes pleadingly. He lowers his arm, lets the ball of energy float to the floor, harmless. 

"Why do you wish to save a man that has almost assaulted you on two separate occasions?"

"Because... I don't know. Just send him to prison or something. But don't kill him." Loki's moth tightens.

"I was only avenging you."

"I understand, and I really appreciate it, but I don't want you harming others in my name. Or any name, for that mater. We're trying to fix each other, right? This is part of that process." He grunts in anger and storms out of the room. Thor appears out of the shadows. 

"Well said, princess," he murmurs.

"Well, am I just going to have to sit here all night?" Ile pipes up. You turn to him in a ball of anger. 

"What the hell is your problem? I can't wait to see you rot in prison, you monster." You approach him and slap him across the face, hard. For good measure, you break his nose with a punch. You smile as it bleeds and he screams. "Thor, take care of this garbage, please. I thank you." You curtsy and leave the room. I'll let Loki come to me if he has a problem with my ethics. I am invincible right now. You triumphantly return to your room and fall asleep.

 

Love/hate/comments/questions/concerns/undying adoration appreciated in the comment section. Love ya much.

PS I stole Loki's speech to Black Widow when he was talking to Ile... I don't own that. :)


	16. Chapter 16

You awake in the middle of the night with a scream, pain searing in your forehead. You are almost positive it was another Jotun nightmare. You rub he heels of your palms into our eyes, seeing stars shooting in your vision. That helps numb the pain slightly, but you can still feel the tears flowing down your face. For some reason, you feel pulled to call out to Loki. "Gosh, I just need someone to hold me right now... I wish Loki were here," you whisper out loud. Suddenly, you can smell the mischief.

"Yes, darling? Are you all right?" he rushes to your bedside and takes your hand, stroking it. This only makes you cry harder, seeing the worry in his eyes. You tug on his hand, urging him closer to you. He slides up onto your bed on top of the covers and wraps his arms around you. "Did you have a nightmare about Ile? Thor has seen to it that he will be sent to prison. I believe he was put in a cell. You needn't fear." You consider lying to him, saying that it was Ile so you wouldn't have to mention the Jotuns.

"No, it was a Jotun nightmare." He stiffens behind you.

"You are doing'therapy' with me, correct?" You nod, wondering what he's getting at. "What if we rehabilitated you to the point where you could deal with the monsters in your dreams, hmm?" You look into his eyes, fear and anxiety flowing through them. "Let's go to my room." He stands and stretches, his back to you, and you sneak his scarf into your robe. He turns, and offers his hand to you. You shyly take it and rise, and then you are in his arms. "I could transport us by magic, if you'd like." Your eyes widen.

"You can do that?" He chuckles at you.

"Of course I can. Magic, and all that." In an instant, you are in his room, panting in fear. Your anxiety soon turns to excitement when you realize what just happened. 

"Can we do that again?" you gush, jumping up and down. He smiles. 

"Maybe later. Can I apologize for something?" You turn your head sideways in confusion.

"Did you do something?"

"I am sorry for treating you the way I did after Ile... Well, you know. I was frustrated because I simply cannot understand how you did not wish to see him suffer as I wanted. I needed him to feel pain, since I was not there to protect you. And you were totally against that. It shocked me, and I attacked your kindness, when I should have been upset with myself. My sincerest apologies." His eyes are shining with remorse, and you run up and hug him. He grudgingly hugs back. "Now, time for your therapy." You groan, thinking that you were going to avoid that somehow. "Have you had much experience with snow?"

"No, I actually quite hate the stuff. It's cold, it's wet, it requires new wardrobes, extra cleaning, different preparations. I despise it. Luckily, it doesn't snow much here. Why?" 

"I think that by introducing good aspects of snow, you will warm up to the idea of being cold. If you experience pleasure with the cold, perhaps it can take off a bit of the bite when it comes to your nightmares. Do you agree?" His logic seemed plaussible, so you assented to his idea. "I'm going to warn you now. Sometimes, when I summon ice and such, I tend to lean towards my, shall we say, roots, if you know what I mean. Don't panic, I will soon get myself under control." He heaves a sigh. "Are you ready?" You nod.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He closes his eyes and you immediately tense up, waiting for a blizzard to be upon you in Loki's room. 

"Darling, please try to relax, I can feel the tension in the room." You close your eyes and try to loosen up. That's when you feel it. A tiny cold something kissing your nose. You open your eyes, and snowflakes are falling from the ceiling. You laugh with glee. The snow slowly begins to build up around you, and suddenly there a few snow piles. Loki is still focused, and you simply can't resist. You pick up a handful of snow, and roll it into a tiny ball. You approach Loki, who is muttering incantations under his breath and lug the snowball at him, laughing maniacally. The snow immediately stops falling, and he turns to face you, slowly. Oh, sh- you are assaulted by the 6'2 god into a snowdrift, and you fall with laughter into the pile. He is above you, hands braced above your shoulders, and you are kind of terrified. You shove his chest, and he doesn't move. 

"Loki, stop it," you giggle. He grins at you and slowly rises, dusting off his trousers. He offers you a hand to get up, and you take it. Suddenly, you are assaulted by a some snowballs. Loki had evidently conjured them while he stood up. 

"Payback," he laughs, and you chortle along with him. You have an urge to make a snow angel, so you fall backwards and begin making one. Loki looks at you curiously. "What on Asgard are you doing? Should I call a doctor?" 

"No, silly! I'm making a snow angel. Didn't you ever-" then you are struck with an idea. "Loki, do you wanna build a snowman?" He looks puzzled.

"Why would I wish to create a man of snow? Am I not good enough company?"

"You never built snowmen?! We must immediately fix this!" You get up and begin rolling the necessary snowballs for a snowman. He watches you walk back and forth, scratching his head. You stack the snowballs and show it off proudly. A lightbulb goes off in Loki's head, and he magically adds a helmet with horns, some eyes, a nose, a mouth. "It looks like a tiny you," you say.

"Wait a moment," he grunts, obviously summoning a spell. The little Loki begins to waddle around, unsure of his footing.

"Oh my Odin, Loki, he is precious," you gush.He meanders over to you and looks up into your face. "Hello, little one."

"I'm a tiny tyrant! Fear me! I love ice cold kisses!"

"How adorable!" you lean down and kiss his button nose. He blushes (ice can blush) and turns to the real Loki.

"I like her."

"Me, too, little one, me too." You yawn, and Loki takes notice. "Perhaps I should allow you to rest." You protest, before Loki waves his hand and his room turns back to normal. He lifts you up and carries you to his bed. He sets you down and allows you to settle in, then acts as if he's going to leave.

"Wait.. Can't you stay? Just until I fall asleep? Please?" you put on your best puppy dog eyes and bat your eyelashes. He sighs in consent and lays on top of the covers behind you, snuggling towards you. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWWWW I'm sorry, for some reason I needed some fluffiness and snowman building (now you are probably singing Frozen ehehehe) and cuddles and OH! I like it. Anywho, did anybody happen to notice that I slipped something in there that may/ may not come into play (and by play, I mean play) later? It was my editor's idea. Anywho. Thank you for reading. Again, love/ hate/ comments/ questions/ concerns/ undying adoration appreciated in the comment section. Lotsa Loki love.


	17. Chapter 17

Your eyes crack open and you have a moment of confusion before you remember that you're in Loki's room. Your mind begins whirring as you recall the scarf in your pocket. Ehehehe, I'm going to get him so good. You carefully crawl over to Loki's half of the bed and peer into his face. He is out. Quickly you tie the scarf to the bedpost closest to him and try to keep your giggles under control. You grab his wrists and tie them to the scarf very nimbly, trying your best to not wake him up. Eventually he is tied up, and you can see he is stirring, so you decide to sit on the end of the bed until he wakes up. 

"What is going on, little one?" he asks, his voice tinted with sleep. You play innocent.

"I was merely returning your scarf, Prince Loki," you say, your eyes shining with mirth. Darkness flashes in his eyes momentarily and you feel your heart skip a beat. He shifts, attempting to wiggle his hands out of the bind you've put him in. You laugh, knowing that your years of servitude have made you a master at tying knots. He snarls and you are kind of terrified. "Well, I mus be on my way. Chores and the like. Have a lovely day." You crawl up his torso and hug him, kissing the tip of his nose. He grumbles and you push your luck by kissing his jawline. 

"You cunning little minx! You will pay for this later, rest assure- good gods!" he exclaims as you kiss down his neck to his collarbone. 

"Goodbye," you laugh as you saunter away. You hear him cursing at you as you skip away. You go to your room to get dressed for the day. You are kind of scared of Loki because you don't know what will happen to you later, but you shrug it off, knowing he'd never do anything to hurt you. After dressing, you skip to the kitchen, whistling merrily. You are given your kitchen duties (washing dishes) by your new supervisor, Madam Leonard. She has been a servant during your stay at Asgard, and you've always liked her.

You scarf down some breakfast and begin washing the dishes. This is a job you don't mind all that much because it allows you to think. Loki floats into your mind. He really is becoming a different god, you realize. He used to be cold and brooding, but now he is caring and warm. Ahh, thinking of me again, are we? You blink. Um, I suppose so. You're quite an interesting man to think about. There's a chuckling behind you and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. 

"See, but that's where you're wrong," he whispers in your ear, his breath tickling the base of your skull. "There are no men like me." You shiver slightly, cursing your inability to keep your cool. "Would you like some help?" You barely nod. He lifts you from behind and sets you on the counter, leaving you flustered. He begins conjuring spells to make the dishes dance through the soapy water over to the drying towel, and you become entranced, and you hear him chuckle softly. "Do you enjoy my tricks, mortal?" You answer with a soft yes. "Well my talents extend outside of the kitchen. I do believe you played a lovely trick on me this morning, but I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you. I will have my revenge. Don't you worry about that." You gulp as a fork meanders over to tickle your nose.

"Loki, stop it," you squeal, falling off of the counter. Luckily, he was paying attention and he catches you, gently stting you on the floor. 

"Shall we go for a walk, my dear?" You smile shyly. 

"I would love that." You stand up and begin putting together an array of food for a picnic.

"Meet me outside by the stables when you are ready to go. I have spoken with your supervisor to give you the day off, and I put a riding outfit on your bed." 

"Okay," you say, and he leaves the room with a flourish. Once you have all of the food gathered, you tie it up and put it in a basket to carry. You calmly walk to your room and find a green tunic with loose-fitting trousers and some riding boots. You change and admire your reflection in the mirror. As soon as your hair is slightly under control, you leave your room to go to the stables. You see a chestnut horse standing next to a gray eight-legged horse. Sleipnir, Loki's son. Your horse has a riding crop that you pull off of the saddle as you pat each of the horses.

You wander over to the supplies area, and Loki is bent over in a container, presumably getting something for the horses. Since you are already in trouble with him for this morning, you decide to get in a little more. You silently tiptoe behind him and bring the whip up, then down to his behind, making him yelp with surprise. You trip as you begin running away, your laughter overcoming you. You roll as you laugh, your belly aching from the mirth. Loki is soon upon you, tickling your sides.

"No, no, NO! Stop! It- tickles-" you gasp, trying to breathe. He finally stops, opting to just sit on you. "Can't- breathe-" you laugh. 

"Who has the upper hand now, hmm?" He smiles down at you. You hear someone clear their throat and you both freeze.

"Am I interrupting something?" a female voice asks. You both scramble to stand up, and Loki recovers first. 

"No, mother, I'm terribly sorry, we both tripped over each other and-"

"Hmm, really? It appeared that you were crushing this poor girl-"

"This is the girl I am courting, mother," Loki says loudly. "This is my mother, Frigga. She's been one of the few that has cared for me during my stay is Asgard. I was about to take her out for a ride and a picnic." You curtsy and Frigga smiles, waving you off.

"Oh, I'm not worthy of that, little one. So you're the girl Loki and Thor have been telling me about? I really must thank you. Loki has quite enjoyed having you around." Loki is blushing profusely, his eyes downcast. 

"I curtsy out of respect. I appreciate everything you have done to make everyone feel a part of this kingdom. I admire your loyalty to your people and your devotion to Loki."

"We must really be going now," Loki says hurriedly. "Do you have everything you need?" 

"Yes. It was lovely meeting you, Frigga," you curtsy once more before you leave.

"She seems nice," you barely hear Frigga say before you round the corner to the horses. Loki is soon there, shaking his head.

"Terribly sorry iif she was overbearing, we had family matters to discuss."

"She was really friendly and I've always admired her, it was an honor to finally meet her." His smile brightens as he helps you mount your horse. He steps up to Sleipnir.

"Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," you smile, and he heads off, with you following close behind. This will definitely be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did you like the scarf? And the riding crop? I was laughing way too hard at that part. We shall see what happens at their lunch later on. Thank you for reading. Again, love/ hate/ comments/ questions/ concerns/ undying adoration appreciated in the comment section. I love you all, thank you for reading.


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